Sunday, October 26, 2014

Californian...here he comes

Flush with cash from California billionaire Tom Steyer's group, a Washington state environmental group is backing candidates this November to help Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee pass sweeping climate change legislation.

Inslee,
who says the state has a moral responsibility to act on climate change,
has gotten national attention for his efforts. But he's struggled to
persuade some lawmakers in his own state, in part because of a state
Senate controlled by a GOP-dominated coalition.

The Washington Conservation Voters Action Fund
this month received $750,000 from Steyer's pro-environment super PAC,
NextGen Climate Action. The state group is spending heavily to unseat
three Republican incumbents in legislative races that could decide
control of the state Senate.

Income disparity can bring more dire consequences too. "Disparity…brings
division," [Christine] LaGarde said. "History…teaches us that democracy begins to
fray at the edges once political battles separate the haves against the
have-nots."